The Rhythm of Riddles: Three Byomkesh Bakshi Mysteries

The Rhythm of Riddles: Three Byomkesh Bakshi Mysteries

The introduction encourages you to perch on a window-sill on a hot afternoon in a small town when you decide to read this book. But, just getting into the mysteries that Bengal’s beloved sleuth, Byomkesh Bakshi, attempts to solve entices you back into a world of simple times and sleepy villages. And as it has always been, nothing is more gripping than a detective story — in whichever era it may be set. Translated by Arunava Sinha, Byomkesh’s crime-solving escapades are a quaint recollection of the simple manner in which his character has captivated hearts over generations. Aided by his close friend Ajit babu, Byomkesh‘s sharp observations and ability to deduce — usually more efficiently that the police — make him a sought-after ‘truth seeker’. His skills, however, are not always welcomed by all in the police community. The first story entails a murder that takes place in their building, while Byomkesh is away on work. Though Ajit is well-versed with the goings-on, on his return, Byomkesh proceeds to in a short time, solve the murder revealing some moving yet disturbing facts about the case and the mood of the country when the story is set. The remaining two stories are based around aspects of the supernatural world and slighting human relations in two small towns near Kolkata Munger and Baghmari. As Byomkesh and Ajit unravel the mysterious shroud that clings close to some inhabitants of these towns, author Saradindu Bandyopadhya’s narrative transport you to the rustic setting, making you believe you can see it happen in front of your eyes. Byomkesh as a crime-solver is akin in his mannerisms to British sleuth Sherlock Holmes — a bit eccentric, highly observant and skillfully pointed. He has a knack for telling you who the murderer is and then explaning how he concluded on the matter, keeping you hooked as you get a tiny bit of insight into the way his mind works. So much so, that it leaves you believing you could solve a mystry yourself, now that Byomkesh has explained how he did it. But alas, if it were so easy, detective stories would not be so enticing. Most of us, will never solve crimes, and as always, we can rely on Byomkesh to do it for us, and keep us close as he does.